Congress’s two-chamber design is a central constitutional compromise.

This National Archives image reproduces the July 5, 1787 Report of the Grand Committee from the Constitutional Convention, which laid groundwork for what became the Great (Connecticut) Compromise. It connects the two representational logics highlighted in your notes: proportional representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate. Source

Bicameralism blends popular rule with protections for states and minority interests, shaping representation, power-sharing, and the kinds of coalitions needed to pass national laws.

Constitutional Purpose of a Bicameral Legislature

Bicameralism as a safeguard in a republic

Bicameralism creates two separate legislative bodies that must agree before a proposal becomes law, adding friction to prevent hasty or oppressive majorities.

The framers linked this structure to republicanism, aiming to channel public preferences through elected representatives while slowing sudden shifts in public opinion that could threaten rights or stability.

Federalism and the “Great Compromise” logic

Bicameralism also reflects federalism by representing the nation in two ways at once:

• States as equal members of the union (Senate)

• People as individuals counted by population (House)

This dual representation reduces the risk that either large-population states or small-population states dominate the national legislature.

Senate Representation: Equal Voice for States

Equal representation as a state-centered principle

In the Senate, each state has the same representation regardless of population. This expresses the idea that states are political communities with interests worth protecting even when they are less populous.

Equal state representation tends to:

• Increase the influence of smaller states relative to their population

• Encourage policy bargaining that addresses regional and state government concerns

• Make legislation more likely to require cross-state compromise rather than purely population-based majorities

How state equality shapes incentives

Because all states count the same in the Senate, political incentives often reward:

• Coalition-building across many states

• Attention to state-level interests (e.g., infrastructure needs, resource concerns) rather than only dense population centers

• Resistance to policies perceived as benefiting a few large states at the expense of many smaller ones

House Representation: Proportional Voice for the People

Proportional representation and popular responsiveness

The House is designed to represent the people directly by linking representation to population.

This U.S. Census Bureau map shows how the 435 House seats are apportioned among states based on the 2020 Census, with each state labeled by its number of representatives. By visualizing seat changes across decades, it illustrates how population shifts translate into changes in political representation in the “people’s chamber.” Source

This structure supports majority rule by ensuring that residents in more populous states and districts have more representatives, aligning lawmaking more closely with national population patterns.

Population-based representation as a democratic principle

Proportionality tends to:

• Make the House more responsive to shifts in public opinion across the population

• Emphasize broad national issues affecting large numbers of people

• Reflect demographic change over time as population concentrations shift

Because the House is intended to be the “people’s chamber,” its legitimacy is tied to the idea that government should be accountable to the public in proportion to where people live.

Why Bicameralism Matters for Representation and Power

An internal check requiring dual majorities

Bicameralism forces two different representative logics to agree:

• A state-based majority in the Senate

• A population-based majority in the House

This internal check can prevent domination by a single political coalition that is strong in population centers but weak across states (or vice versa). It also promotes policy outcomes that can attract support both from the national public and from a broad range of states.

Inevitable tension: people vs. states

Because the chambers represent different constituencies, conflict is built in:

• The House may prioritise policies with strong nationwide popular backing.

• The Senate may prioritise policies that protect smaller or less populous states from being consistently outvoted.

These design choices reflect the syllabus focus: Congress is bicameral to reflect republicanism, with the Senate representing states equally and the House representing the people through proportional representation.